Holder for towels and the like



elf. (gn/Evento@ 6. A. WEDIN.

`HOLDER Foa owELs AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7. |911.

Patented Sept. l1919.

j; mit! GUSTAF ADOLF WEDIN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

HOLDER FOR `TOWELS THE LIKE.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

rai-enten sept. 2, 1919.

Application led May 7, 1917. Serial No. 166,901.

.for gripping and holding articles by frictional adherence, and it appertains more particularly to holders for towels and si1n1- lar wares made 0f some textile fabric.

Oneio'f the objects of the invention is to produce an improved holder of the nature set forth wherein the article to be held is quickly inserted, and from which it can be as readily removed, without danger of 1njury to the same. f p p v Another' object is to provide a holder of the species mentioned which shall be equally efficient in operation whether the articles held thereby be thin 0r thick, smooth surfaced, or uneven in textures.

A further object-is the production of a holder of the character described which shall be of simple construction, convenient to operate, and composed of but lfew parts, severally amenable to low cost of manufacture.

i Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists of the improvements, novel construction, arrangements and com- `l binations of parts hereinafter described, de-

ined in the subjoined claims, and illustrated in their preferred embodiments by the annexed drawings, wherein like elements are designated by the same reference characters throughout.

In the said drawings Figure I is a top plan view, partly in section, showing a towel holder made according to the present invention;

Fig. II is a front elevatiton of the same, thefinternal parts on the left-hand side being diagrammatically represented, that is, in outline merely; 4

Fig. III is a vertical transverse section, taken centrally across Fig. II, `looking toward the right; and

Fig. IV is a side elevation, looking from the left of Fig. II.

Pursuant to one embodiment of the invention, andas shown in the accompanying drawing, the holder includes a frame having opposed members, as 11, 12, set and maintained at a suitable distance apart. As seen in Figs. II to IV, these members may be disposed on straight parallel lilies and thus will constitute the top and bottom members of the frame, respectively.

Within the said frame are placed one 0r more pairs of gripping elements 15, 16 both of a flexible and inherently elastic nature, which are conveniently attached to the opposed mcmbers 11, 12 and likewise arranged in opposed relation. The-said elements may consist, for example of tufts of brush bristles, which may be of hair or iber; or again the tufts may be composed of strips of semi-rigid leather or pliant wicker. By preference the tufts are placed in parallel rows, longitudinally 0f the frame, as indicated in Figs. I and III, and the several rows of opposed tufts are spaced endwise from one another, so that a short interval will keep them normally separated, as shown at 17, Figs. II and IV.

Fig. III illustrates how a towel.l as 19, or a wash-cloth or the like, may be inserted in the holder, and kept safely suspended therefrom in a cleanly condition. lVhen thus inserting an article of the kind referred to, any part of the same may be taken hold of by one or more fingers,`and simply pushed in betweenthe free ends of the tufts 15 and 1G, the cloth covering the fingers on all sides, so that they do not come in contact with the bristles. The latter yieldingly bend backward during the operatiton, as represented in said Fig. III. If then the hand be withdrawn, the towel or other article will be caught between and held by the tufts, each individual bristle therein' acting as a pawl to engage the woven surface of the article and preventing it from falling off by its own weight or from being too easily disengaged. The thickness of the material of which the article is composed will keep it in place by preventing the tufts from springing back of themselves alone or unaided. But, by applying sufficient force to overcome the gripping power or frictional adherence of the tufts, the article can be quickly released and drawn out, in which case the bristles momentarily swing outward, that is, in a direction opposite to that illustrated in Fig. III, and subsequently become normalized by again springing to their original position.

As represented in Figs. I and II, the parallel rows of tufts are preferably arranged so as to form a plurality of groups within the holder and provide empty spaces, as 21, 22 and 23 between the tufts and the ends of the frame, and intermediately of the groups themselves` Several advantages are thereby gained. For instance, this arrangement of the parts enables the hand ofthe ope ra. tor to straddle either or any of the groups of tufts in casethe article to be introduced therebetween is made of material too thick to permit also the insertion of the ylingers wrapped in the. material. In such ,a contingency, the article can be inserted in the holder by pushing it in from the opposite sides of any one group of tufts, as will be easily understood. The )grouping of the v tufts further effects a saving in the quantities of bristles employed. Moreover, it will be seen that in a holder like that shown inA the annexed drawing, for instance, a couple of towels, wash-cloths or similar articles, can be accommodated and maintained at the proper distance apart one from the other, in such-a manner that the 'air Will freely cir-` culate around and dry them, or keep them in a dry state.

It will be observed by reference to Figs. I, InHand IV, that the rows of bristles are located somewhat nearer to the front of` the frame than to the back thereof. The front rows of the different groups may be set fairly close to the face of the frame, being situated inside just far enough to guard against the breaking of the pockets for the bristles or the tearingaway of the material from which4 the frame is made. But ,it is desirable to set thebristles farther inward at the back of the frame, in order to rovide a clearance in the rear of the tuftsof ample,

depth to receive the end of the towel or cloth yinserted in the holder,

The previously mentioned kparallel mem.- bers ll and 12 are preferably held in spaced relation one to the other by means of transverse pieces 26, 27 which may be shouldered as shown, and glued, screwed, or otherwise fastened te the said members.

Eye-plates 29'are'provided at the upper edge of the member ll to suspend the holder from nails, screws, hooks, or other suitable retainers attached to a wall or primary supf port of any desired description. When thus suspended the holder will be `flatwise against the wall or support, with the front side only open for the insertion of towels or other ar.v ticles. 1f Preferred, however, the holder can be attached endwise to the wall or support so that access may be had thereto on either side or both` sides, as needed, for which purpose either of the transverse mem-l ber-s 26, 27 may be extended above and be low the frame, as at 34, 35, respectively, and perforated to afford holes 36, 37 through which the said retainers may be passed. The

construction last referred to is illustrated in Fiss, Il andIV- Although th's improved device has been described. with. reference to a holder for towels and the like, it can obviously serve other useful purposes as well. Thus, it af fords a convenient means for securing table clothsv to. Outfoffdoors tables or counters. I t may also be used for holding childrens bedcovers securely in the required position. To these ends the transverse pieces 26, 27- of the holders frame are provided with intermedie ate perforations as 3l, 32, adapted to receive screws, or equivalent fasteners, bymeans of which the device can be rigidly connected to the underside of a table-top, bed or crib.`

Notwithstanding'. further that the frame of the device has been shown in the drawing as made up of separate pieces, (1l, 12, 26, 27) no limitation is intended in` that respect,

since these parts could as well bev formed integral with one another.

While a certain preferred embodiment of,

this device has kbeen shown and described, it

will be understood that changes in the form,r`

arrangements, sizes, proportions and details thereof may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as by the appended claims.

Having described my invention what desire to secure by Letters Patent andzclaim 1s l.. A holder of the class described comprising a skeleton frame, and groups of grippers therein spaced one from `the other and from the ends Aof said frame, said grip-V pers Consisting of tufts of flexible and elas` tic material inverted relativelyto one another, the grippers in each group being set nearer to. one than to the opposite side ofthe defined l ico frame,l the arrangement being such that v clearance is-obtained .on allsides of groups of grippers. A

2. A holder of the class describedl comprising a skeleton frame, and gripping elements of flexible andelastic material re-'a spectively projecting from thev oppositesides of the frame toward the center thereof, the` arranged transversely of said members, and means for attachmgsaid element rto a pri? mary support in suclra manner as to maintain said grippersy extending out in a plane side. e

4. A holder of the` class described, 'comthe` A at right angles tothe support, whereby ac' cess can be had to the grippers from either prisingy oppositely disposed longitudinal members, grippers therebetween consisting of tufts of flexible and elastic material inverted relatively to one another', transversely arranged elements joining said members, one of said elements having portions extending endwise beyond the latter, said portions and the elements being provided with openings for fastening means at right angles to each other, thereby enabling the members 10 to be fastened to a primary support either perpendicularly thereto or in parallelism therewith.

Signed at the borough of Manhattan in the county of New York and State of New York this 4th day of May A. D. 1917.

GUSTAF ADOLF WEDIN.

Witnesses:

H. C. KARLsoN, W. H. GEE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

